The tagline of warm, witchy novel is perfect description of this book. A nod to Alice Hoffman's books, but more focus on the love story element. Liked the recipes too :) Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

Coming soon on September 19, The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic is Breanne Randall's first novel to be published, but hopefully not her last. Fellow fans of the magical realism of Alice Hoffman and Sarah Allen Addison will want to check this one out.

Sadie Revelare is happy working with her grandmother at their small café, A Peach in Thyme, but then everything seems to start to unravel when her first love returns to town and her grandmother reveals some serious medical news. Sadie believes that these heartbreaks are a side effect to the power she wields. When her estranged twin brother returns further family secrets are revealed and it will take all the Revelare's and their communities efforts to save them.

I enjoyed the whimsical magic details mixed in with the more serious topics of the story. Sadie's best friend lives with bipolar disorder and her brother suffers from depression and although neither is explored in depth since they are secondary characters, it provided representation of those living with the condition, and Sadie herself discusses plans to see a therapist for grief counseling.

You'll be left craving some of the delicious drinks and treats that are mentioned in the story, so it is lucky that each chapter ends with a recipe from Sadie's grandmother so you can try it for yourself just BYOM (bring your own magic). I made the Chocolate Pecan Pie (good for healing strength and longevity) and the Cherry Cheese Pie (helps ensure the peace, good for family gatherings) for our Fourth of July celebration this year.

I received an advanced copy of the novel from Netgalley and the publishers in order to provide an honest review.

* Thank you to Netgalley & the Publisher for sending me this eARC for an unbiased review.*

This book has been advertised as a Gilmore Girls meets Practical Magic story and the influence and vibe is THERE. The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic is a magical read that is atmospheric and cozy.
The recipes scattered throughout are amazing and I can't wait to try them- this book is worth grabbing for those alone. Readers of Sarah Addison Allen would especially love this.

I thought this story was 70% vibe and 30% plot which worked for me as a mood and atmosphere reader. If you're into more plot driven books, this might not be the one. The small town setting was perfect- as someone from a small, NC town myself I found it to be fairly accurate- and had a diverse set of characters. Some could argue too many characters, but I didn't mind.

I thought it was a little predictable, but it was super cozy. Some of the dialogue can be repetitive- looking at you, GiGi, but I loved the character building. Each character was their own which I appreciated. GiGi in particular struck me as a person who had someone very similar in my life- reading this was like seeing her again.

This book is an easy addition to my RA list of cozy autumnal reads, books with food, books with cozy witches, or even Sarah Addison Allen read-alikes.

It started slow paced, it cosy. Unfortunately I could not connect with the main character. And at som Epping so many things happened - family secrets, the illness and death of grandmother, heartbreaks, mental health. I think the idea of book is great but something was missing for me

Thank you to Breanne Randall and NetGalley for this arc copy of The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic.

3.75/5

This was a cozy witchy read. I loved the autumn aesthetic and small town vibes. It was a comforting read, but also pulled on my heart strings. I also adored the second chance romance in the book.

Small side note: I found it interesting they didn’t want to be called witches. I enjoyed a lot of the characters, but it felt like we didn’t get to connect with them as much as I would like. I also enjoyed the happy ending, but parts also disappointed me, but could be resolved in a sequel.

I would recommend this to anyone who loves second chance romance, drama, and cozy fantasy elements! I would read a sequel if there is one.

Thank you to netgally for giving me the opportunity to read this arc.

Real rating: 2.5 stars

I love magical books and witch craft. I love cozy fantasy. I love plants and gardening. And the idea of ingredients bringing different magic and meaning into the food, I loved it!

Still, I didn't love this book, which I was rather suprised by. I thought this book would feel more magical and whimsical, which it managed at times. I also thought the love story would be more prominent, but now I'm left confused as to why the love story is there to begin with. I felt my attention being dragged in all the different directions, but my interest was seldom captured.

First off, I felt like the same sentences about emotions kept repeating themselves in many of the paragraphs. Which meant that I could skip huge chunks of text and it would still convey the same message. I think these extra explanations are there to make us understand the feelings of Sadie, but it didn't work for me. It pulled me out of what was happening in the story.

In the beginning of the book, we spend several pages visiting the town while all these omens are happening. While Sadie is in town we are introduced to a ton of names that means nothing for the story. Instead of caring about what was being told about the lives of all of these people, I wondered about the magic that was happening. I just feel that if you introduce characters on that level of detail, they should matter to the story, not just be filler or something to point at and say "See! the mc is sooo nice to all these people".

Now, the Jake love story never made sense to me at all; why he left, and what happens in the book. I don't understand how mc could still want him. Also, why is he in this story? He never really adds anything, other than messy filler drama when the story quiets down. Why does Sadie need this kind of love? I feel like a focus on the familial love could have made me care more about the family and the plot of the book.

I really liked Gigi with her snark and sass, depite having deep love for her family.

Why are the characters suddenly in church without any explanation or discussion about how the church might react to those with magic? Is their magic connected to christianity? It felt out of place, looking at the history of the church in regards to magic.

I didn't necessarily like the magical story in the book, as I felt there were stones unturned, questions not asked and some loopholes, leaving me with an unsatisfying, predictable ending.

I also felt like Sadies arc was a let down, her whole life she gives and gives, but never takes for herself, then the story ends with a conflict where she is the same in that sense.

A good cozy witchy book. Overall, it's pretty good, but I didn't love it. The blurb of "if you like x,y,z, you will love this..." is misleading. I enjoyed Gilmore girls. I loved Practical Magic. This was nothing like either. It set expectations that were not met. Although it is billed as a romance, that was more of a subplot, which was good. Overall, it's not a bad read, but there are better reads out there. I believe the author has promise.

What a great cozy book for fall! Magic, love, friendships, adorable town. What more could you want? I enjoyed this book from start to finish, and would definitely recommend this for a nice fall/autumn read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

This book started slowly and picked up with the reintroduction of the "prodigal son" twin brother. Overall I found it sweet but predictable, with some added sprinkles of spice from the magical elements. The main character personifies the family-oriented / hardworking / heart-of-gold / unlucky-in-love trope, and the romantic entanglements and hijinks are entertaining but unsurprising. An easy, comforting read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an arc of this book. I really enjoyed the plot and setting of the book. The characters were cute.

Just so cozy and a book to cuddle up with. I loved the characters so much.I wasn't sure what I was going to think of this or if it would be like "too magic-y", but it was so cute.

Despite this book being out of my usual genre choice, I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, the relationships and family, the recipes and most of all the lessons about love and hope and faith! It was well written and I would definitely recommend this witchy book. The female main character finds herself with a curse that has ruled her life and caused her much heartbreak. Her twin brother doesn't know how to tap into his magic and they all must work together to save his life before it is too late. I was given the chance to read this arc by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review and would like to thank both of them and the author .

"The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic" is Breanne Randall's first book. It is a sweet and magical story about love, loss, family, and the magic that lives in all of us. This book takes readers on an emotional trip that looks at the strength of the human heart and the walls we build to protect ourselves. It reminds me of "Practical Magic" and "Gilmore Girls," which I loved.

The main character, Sadie Revelare, has a unique problem: her magic comes with a curse that says she will break four people's hearts. Sadie's carefully planned life starts to fall apart when her grandmother gets sick and her first love, Jake McNealy, comes back into her life after being away for years. Sadie is at a crossroads when her twin brother who she hasn't seen in a long time comes back with family secrets that have been hidden for a long time. She wonders if she can keep her family's tradition and her magical powers alive.

Breanne Randall's writing is both interesting and emotional. It pulls the reader into a world where magic and reality blend together smoothly. The characters, especially Sadie, have a lot of depth, which makes the book easy to relate to and like. Exploring the difference between love and magic makes the story more interesting and makes the reader think about what really matters in life.

In this sweet, witchy story, the author does a great job of showing the importance of family and the power we find in ourselves when things are hard. "The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic" is a fun book to read if you like stories about magic, romance, and the power of love that lasts. It would be a great addition to any library.

***A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.***

If you are looking for a good fall vibes book, look no further, you found it. I binge read this book in one sitting, could not put it down. With the close knit community vibes of Gilmore girls, Magic of Practical Magic and sweet treats is Kiki’s delivery Service, I could not get enough of this book!

Without any spoilers I will just say this book made me laugh, cry, and rage right along with the relatable main character. Something about this story tapped right into my emotions, and it will likely become a yearly fall re-read nestled on my front porch with a cup of coffee.

I was a bit underwhelmed with The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic. The characters were likable for the most part and the story had potential. I found the constant explanation of what the different ingredients in each recipe were meant to help with distracting and overdone. I was never really invested in the threat to the twins and found the ending a little bit too neat. Although I was not in love with this book, I would read more from the author because I think she does have a good sense of story. Thank you to Net Galley and Alcove Press for the advanced copy.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley and Alcove Press; all opinions are exclusively my own.

I was intrigued by the description of this book online, "The Gilmore Girls meets Practical Magic", but wasn't exactly sure what that would entail. I do know that what I got was a delightful blend of fantasy and reality, with a heavy dose of an emotional core that felt true even on the pages of a book. More than just a romantic comedy, this tale is all about family, loss, sacrifice, and love in all the many ways it can take shape. The recipes included are intriguing, as well. Completely and whole-heartedly recommend this title!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me, the writing style was a little too flowery in places, and the characters felt a little wooden. May try again in the future

Whimsical and magical. This book is Gilmore Girls meets Practical Magic (as described) and I loved it! It is a great mix of romance, fantasy, and family drama. I didn’t want to put it down. It's the perfect cozy fall read.

I also loved that there are recipes at the end of each chapter. I can’t wait to try some of them when the book comes out!

A heart-wrenching and uplifting tale of family, food, and magic.

Sadie Revelare has always valued three things over anything else: family, food, and magic. And she's always known that for the Revelare family, with power comes a price. Her price? A curse of four heartbreaks. But she's always thought that her magical gifts were worth any cost. Even if her first two heartbreaks, the losses of her first love Jake and her brother Seth, left her unwilling or unable to trust other. The ability to help those around her through the food she makes is her pride and joy and she couldn't possibly imagine life without it.

But suddenly Jake returns to town and Sadie's magic begins to go haywire as old feelings threaten to resurface. Then, to complicate matters further Seth returns as well and Gigi reveals the most devastating truth of all: she's dying. She's dying, and she brings to light a dark family secret that reveals the reason why.

As Gigi's health worsens, and Sadie's third heartbreak looms ever nearer, she and Seth must work together to get to the bottom of their dark history before it is too late. All the while, things with Jake continue to complicate and Sadie is left wondering if there are some things out there worth losing your magic for.

This was such a deep and compelling read. I had no idea the level of story I was getting into when I requested this ARC and I don't regret a single second. I laughed, I cried, I got angry. I experienced such a full range of emotions reading this book. The only thing that keeps me from giving this a full five stars is I felt the solution to the problem at had was a bit contrived. I'd have liked to see a different way of resolving the curse instead of what felt like a typical self sacrifice mechanic that we see in a lot of romance novels and movies.

There were aspects of the plot that I found particularly hard to read because of personal experience, but that really just goes to show you that the author put a lot of time, care, and research into their writing. The fact that the events surrounding Gigi's illness were able to elicit such a deep response from me proves the execution was well done. And let's not talk about how absolutely wonderful it was to receive a full recipe after every single chapter! What a delightful and unusual touch!

Over all, I very much enjoyed this book and I hope we get to see more from the Revelare family. There are a wealth of additional stories to be told here and I for one will be among the first to read them if I can be!

After reading this book I immediately wanted Breanne Randall to write both a sequel to this book but also other books about the other founding families! I need to know more! There was such a world created in this novel, and I wish it was real. It's shocking how much could fit into a sub-400-page book.

In this book our main character Sadie has magic, but with her magic comes a curse. She will experience four heartbreaks in her life and then she will lose her magic. Because of that she is scared to love and does everything she can to ensure that people won't leave her, by bending over backward for everyone in her small town. When her first two heartbreaks come back to town and she finds out that her third heartbreak is on the horizon, Sadie has to learn how to love and let herself love, how to be someone outside of her magic, and how to have hope.

The first half of this book was so sad but the second half was so happy that it made up for it. I loved the family, and the friendships, Best part of the book was the unexpected recipes at the end of every chapter. I already want to make so many of them.

I will absolutely be rereading this book in the fall and making all these drinks and sweets during the fall too. Again, it's not a want but a need for more books. I want to escape to that world again and again and again.